Pankag Karmakar

The government yesterday slashed the fare for long-haul buses by 3 paisa per kilometre, drawing criticism from

The usual eight-hour working time a day is not applicable for him. He has to work almost double the time.

Bus operators are reluctant to reduce fares despite a cut in fuel prices.

Around 620 union parishads (UPs) in 46 districts go to polls in the third phase today amid tension and fear of violence, as elections in

Though widespread violence and loss of dozens of lives marked the first two phases of union parishad polls, the Election Commission and the law enforcement agencies have praised each other for their respective roles.

Another 639 unions in 47 districts go to the polls today, a week after violence in the first phase of the elections left around two dozen people dead.

Independent candidates have won more than double the chairman posts grabbed by BNP-nominated candidates in

The Election Commission has decided to ask the returning officers to file cases against those involved in electoral irregularities and violence at all the 65 polling centres where voting was suspended during the union parishad polls on Tuesday.

Over 700 unions will go to polls today against the backdrop of the deadly violence during electioneering in the last couple of weeks.

With her one-and-a-half-month-old child in the arms, Umme Kulsum was hurrying from one desk to another at the National Identity Registration Wing (NIDW) office.

Chief Election Commission Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad yesterday directed the law enforcers to open fire on criminals if they try to occupy polling stations or stuff ballot boxes during the union parishad polls.

The Election Commission is yet to take any action over allegations that many union parishad chairman hopefuls were barred from filing nominations for the March 22 polls.

Passengers were looking for better train services as they started buying tickets at higher prices yesterday.

Elections to 752 union parishads, the biggest grassroots-level polls, will be held on March 22 on partisan lines for the first time.

The Election Commission yesterday complained to the prime minister and the Speaker that Awami League MP Sharif Ahmed had threatened a returning officer to influence the municipality polls.

To prevent road crashes, the government has lowered the speed limit to 50kmph on highways during foggy weather, despite the fact that similar decisions on road safety remain unimplemented for years.

The Election Commission is likely to ask the returning officers concerned today to look into the allegations of electoral code violation against around two dozen ministers and lawmakers, and take action against them if found guilty.

Although the municipality polls are only eight days away, many returning officers are falling behind with the probes into alleged violations of electoral laws by the ruling Awami League men.

With the Awami League men continuing to breach the polls code, an election commissioner yesterday sought the prime minister's intervention to check this.

Police want restrictions on journalists' access to polling stations in the December 30 municipal polls, but the Election Commission has